The Garden

"Where are we going?, The dorms is that way!" Isabelle followed Balthazar in a dark hallway.

'This guy is leading me somewhere suspicious I can feel it'

Shortly after the announcement, Balthazar fetched her. Though Isabelle was hesitant to follow him, with a little encouragement from Ishkaria Isabelle decided to follow him.

"You will not be sleeping in the dorms, you'll stay with me as my personal apprentice and your personal mentor." Balthazar stopped for a moment then looked behind him, he stared at Isabelle's face.

Isabelle feeling discomfort by his stare she avoid his gaze and looked the other side.

"I'm sorry from what I said and did before that" Isabelle whisphered to herself.

"What was that?" Balthazar asked.

"It was nothing" Isabelle replied still not looking back at him.

"Apology accepted" Balthazar continued to walk towards the dark hallway leading to an unknown place.

'So he did heard it' Isabelle's pointy ears jerked. 'How embarrassing'.

They both stopped at the strange wall at the end of the hallway.

"Here we are" Balthazar said.

'Where?!' Isabelle looked left and right but it was nothing there aside from a holding cell.

'Don't tell me he's planning on making me live here as a punishment'

As she was overthinking, Balthazar activated a rune and the wall was opened and inside was a portal.

"After you" Balthazar walked to the side indicating that he really wants Isabelle to go first.

Isabelle was a bit hesistant but in the end she walked in. She put her fingers on the portal first to make sure that it is safe. She close her eyes and started to walk slowly until she was on the other side, then she slowly opened her eyes.

"Pixies!" Isabelle saw a small butterfly like creatures flying in the beautiful garden. Isabelle has never seen a garden like this before.

Though it was night time, it was not dark. The stars and the moon shines bright and the garden reflected the light back to the sky.

"If there are pixies, there must be a-" all of a sudden a small humanoid creature with a butterfly wings flew around her. "Fairies!" she exclaimed.

Balthazar walked slowly behind her, He saw a cheerful girl playing with the flying pixies and faries around her. He just stood there, watching.

Isabelle saw him on the corner of her eyes.

"Where are we?" She asked

"In my garden" Balthazar replied

"And you made all of this?" Isabelle was curious of how this professor manage to build such a garden that faries and pixies dwell in it.

"Yes I did."

"No way! you don't look like one" Isabelle was doubtful. 'There's no way that he made it right?!'

"Look like what?" Balthazar asked.

"A person who made this garden!"

"Then what do I look like?" Balthazar asked another question.

Isabelle: "A terrorist!"

......

Balthazar walked Isabelle in the garden for a few minutes before Balthazar decided it's time to go. Balthazar walked a little faster than Isabelle, distancing himself from her.

'Is this old dude sulking?' Isabelle thought to herself.

"Hey, I'm sorry already, I didn't mean it." Isabelle apologized and tried to catch on to him. Then her stomach started to growl, protesting to be fed.

Balthazar slowed down and looked behind him for a moment, he saw a tired girl and probably hungry girl. He let out a sigh.

"We're almost there, look" Balthazar pointed his finger towards a big castle.

Isabelle was astonished by the beauty of this castle. It was no ordinary castle, much like in Althrea, it was magical. A white gold and blue castle she had not seen before, Runic symbols on the walls. A magical structure that can only be found in fairy tales.

'Though it looks like a castle, I have never seen this architectural design before, it's much more of a mansion' Isabelle took another look and examined this odd yet dazzling structure before her.

"You live here?" Isabelle asked.

"Yes" Balthazar responded quickly.

"No way! you don't look like one!"

"....." Balthazar did not want this conversation to continue anymore.

They arrived at the front, but there was no door to be found. Isabelle looked left and right. 'Perhaps we went on the wrong way?'

Balthazar took another step and the wall started to move, The wall became a door.

'Even his door is magical huh'

Inside the castle-mansion was dark, but as soon as they were inside it started to lit up. Isabelle had visited Brethal, the imperial palace of Brethlia before, but this castle or mansion far exceeded it.

Isabelle looked around and wanted to explore every part of it. But she sensed that something was particularly odd.

"Where's the servants?" She asked.

"I live alone" Balthazar answered as he continued to walk to a certain room.

"oh poor you, you must have been really lonely." Isabelle decided to tease him.

"Yes, I was" Balthazar's answer was unexpected by Isabelle. Feeling bad for him, Isabelle did not continue to tease him and want to change the topic to easen up the mood.

"Still, I can't believe you live in a place like this"

"Do you like it?" Balthazar asked

"Yes, I love it" Isabelle said her honest thought. "Then I'm glad" said Balthazar.

"How did you manage to own this place tho?" Isabelle asked out of curiousity.

"I am Magnus Tyranus Balthazar" He proclaimed. He then looked at the girl behind him.

"And?" Isabelle looked back at him with high expectation, expecting him to reveal something grand.

"I'm rich" Balthazar looked away and continued to walk towards big dining room.

"..." Isabelle was speechless as her expectations were shattered to atomic pieces.